The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-29
Congress Asked to Fix the Status of the
Companies Otherwise Organized.
Carlisles AutOcratic Rulings in the House
Blaine Not Seeking the Presidential Nomi-
nation-Other Washington News
THE EXPRESS COMPANIES.


| The eInterstase-CommerceC Commission Gives
| Decision in an Important Case.
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.-The formal decision
| of the Interstate-commerce Commission on the
question whether the express companies are
subject to the provisions of the act to regulate
commerce was announced to-day. The pames
and organizations Of the various express COM
| panies doing business in the United States are
| given. some of them being incorporated under
| State charters, some joint stock companies,
| differing little from partnerships, some being
| bureaus organized as branches of the railroad
service and some combinations OF several rail-
roads for the transaction of the gross business
of their lines. There is nothing in the nature of
the express business which prevents its being
carried on by an ordinary partnership, or even
by an individual, provided the necessary con-
tracts can be obtained with transportation lines
The most usual contract is one which paws to
the railroad company 40 per cent OF gross re-
ceipts of the express company. but various other
methods of settlement employed. The
arguments urged by the express companies
against their being treated as subject to the act
are considered in detail. The fact that they
perform many other services besides trausporta-
ton or property-such as the collection of debts,
etc-ls not regarded as a reason why the act
should not be treated as applying to their bust
ness as common carriers since many railroad
companies also have other business besides that
of transportation. The various sections of the
act are considered with relation to the express
business. and are bound to be, in theory, as
applicable thereto to the business of railroads
In fact the express companies claim that they
already abide by rules established in the act
The recurring of annual reports from express
companies is supposed to be matter concern
.,-, .or <1 r,,=a 1
and Congress may particularly desire know
ledge. At present. little is known about the
amount of their capital stock, their funded debt,
or the money invested in their plant or busi-
ness; the volume of their business.
with expense thereof; the rates
charged, and the methods upon which
the rates are constructed. The capitalization of
some OF the companies is known to be quito
large, amounting TO many million dollars in each
case The difficulty of framing schedules.fs
the Information of the public is not found to be
greater than in the case Of railroads which have
complied with the act Three express COM
panies have so complied. and their schedules
have been placed on file. The agents of all ex-
press companies are necessarily instructed as to
the charges TO be made. and the public is equal
ly intelligent The bringing of express com
panies within the provisions of the act is found
Bile. The express companies which are simply
branches OF railroad. organized and operating
through its ordinary staff, or by independent
bureau, or by a combination with other railroad
companies, are found to be covered by the pro-
visions of the act In the of the independ-
emily organized express companies, however,
operating under contracts for transporta-
tion, the language of the act, al
it stands, is found to be SO framed aa
not to bring them distinctly within its provis-
ions. The words wholly by railroad in tha
first section. do not well define the business OF
express companies. which use very largely tho
services of teams, messengers, stage coaches
and steamboats,. The pooling section applies TO
the pooling of the business of railroads: other
sections speak of railroads continually. and of
depots and stations, the language not being aD-
plicable to the business of express companes,
except under somewhat strained construction.
The express business was well known. at the
time of the passage of the law, aud has been
mentioned by name in congressional
statutes. The omission to name it here is sig
nifcant The preliminary investigation by the
interstate commerce committee OF the Senate
did not include the business of express compa-
MES. and was confined almost wholly to that of
railroad companies. Upon all these considera-
tions, the commission has thought best to refeI
the subject to Congress, as in case of doubt
ful jurisdiction it is far better that the legsla-
tive body should resolve the doubt.